Will of William Heydon de Watford 1545

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Citation Court of the Archdeaconry of St Albans, Registered wills and administrations, "Ewer" 1540-1546, fol. 95 recto, will of William HEYDON of Watford, proved 26 June 1545; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 15 January 2022) DGS no. 8076678, image 127-130 of 691 (can be viewed at Family History Centres and Affiliate Libraries); Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, ref. 5AR95.

Spelling, punctuation and line breaks as per the original.
Paragraph breaks (at start of new of bequest) and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
Ligatures and abbreviations have been expanded in [square brackets].

Persons mentioned
William Heydon/William Heydon de Watford: Testator
Henry Heydon: Eldest son and heir of testator
Alyce Heydon : Testator's wife
Thomas Heydon: Testator's son
Sir Nicholas Hare, Knight: Master of the Rolls and related to Thomas Heydon's intended bride.
Raffe/Ralph Heydon :Testator's son
Agnes Heydon' :Wife of Ralph and daughter of Thomas Abraham of Flamstead, Hertfordshire
Thomas Abraham : Father of Agnes Heydon, wife of Ralph Heydon
John Heydon: Testator's son
Anthony Heydon: Testator's son
Jerome Heydon: Testator's son
Elene/Ellen Heydon'/Beddell/Pawne/Payne: Testator's eldest daughter and wife of William Pawne/Payne of Essex, previously married to William Beddell
Anne Heydon/Dinham: Testator's second daughter married to John Dinham/Denham
Elizabeth Heydon/Palmer:Testator's third daughter married to Thomas Palmer
Dorathi/ Dorothy Heydon/ Shoredyche: Testator's fourth daughter married to Robert Shoreditch
Alyce Heydon/Bigge: Testator's fifth daughter married to Edward Bigge
Mary Heydon/Frankis(Frankish): Testator's sixth daughter married to John Frankish

Transcription

William Heydon de Watford Armiger

In Dei no[m]i[n]e Amen The viij^th day of may in the xxxvij yere
of the Raynge of our sov[er]ayne lord Kyng Henry the viij^th I Will[ia]m
Heydon of the grove yn the p[ar]ysh of watford yn the countye of
hertf[ord]s[hire] Esquyer beyng in hole & p[er]fytt mynd thank yt be to all
myghtye god oure blessed lady & to all the compayny of heven
ordeyne & make my testament & my last will comprysid yn the
same in man[er] & forme followyng/ first I co[m]mend my synfull
soule to allmyghtye god oure blessed lady & to all the co[m]pany of
heven my wreched body to be buryed in Saynt Katherins chapel
one the South sid of the quere of the p[ar]yshe churche of watford
aforsayd wych my father & grandmother buylded in suche
place therof as by my executors shall sence co[n]venyent yf yt
fortune me to Deceasse nyghe ther or els by therm Dyscrecyon w[i]th
out pompe & to geve the larg[er] to pore men & specially to pore true
laborers havyng childerne y[a]t Doe not begge for for shame/ Also
I bequeth to the hyi aut[er] of watford beforesayd vj^s viij^d for
my tythes forgotten & myspayd/ Also I bequith to ev[er]y Dought[er]
I have one Anngell of gold for a remembrannce/ And I bequith to
ev[er]y of my s[er]vantes of both kindes beyng yn my s[er]vyce at the tyme
of my Dicesse vi^s viij^d ov[er] ther wages & Dutyes/ And I gyve
to ev[er]y godchild of myn of both kyndes xx^d And wheras
my father gave unto me & my heres his game & marke & swannes in
colney I geve the same to my sone henry my here & to his heres
And where also my sayd father gave unto me & my heres two vestment
one chalys a masse boke & all man[er] of Aparill for a Aut[er] to be always
occupyed yn my house/ I give the sayd vestments & all the other
the p[re]mysses to my sayd here & his heres to be occupied yn my sayd

Second page

house accordyng/ Also I Doe gyve & bequeth to my sayd hore my
greate standyng cupe w[i]th a cov[er] hole gilt/ And also a greate salt
wyth a cov[er] hole gilt wych were my sayd father/ Also I gyve to
my sayd here too of my best fetherbeds & cov[er]leds wyth all other
Apparell to them/ sellers & hangyngs in too of my best cha[m]bers
at Grove as they be & none to be removed/ And Also I gyve unto
hym allman[er] bedstedes tables troughes ledes spytt[es] cobernes
allman[er] of bruying vessell & all other ma[ner] of hustilment[es] &
hangyng yn my house at grove & newstrete and yn all other
my houses in watford to the use of my heyre/ Also I gyve to
my sayd heyre all my cart[es] and ploughes wyth all man[er] of horse
harnes to them both for cart and ploughe and vj cart horse ten
of my best bull[ock]s & one bull/ fourty of my best shepe/ towerd[es]
his household at grove therto be occupyed/ Also I Doe gyve to
Alyce my wyfe ij fetherbed[es] wyth allman[er] of aparill of biddyng
& hangyng for ij chamber next best to the too chambers before
bequithed to my sayd heyre/ And also the bedes w[i]th mattres &
all other aparell for s[er]vant[es] bedes/ And also I Doe gyve unto her
part of all other man[er] of stuffe as pott[es]/ pannes shettes lynyn
& of all other thing[es] mete for her to occupye to be Delyv[er]id to
her by the Dyscrecyon of my executors/ Also I requyre my
heyre to geve iij^s iiij^d yerely toward[es] the sallarry of the
masse at the trynyte aut[er] in watford to the churchewardens
as long as yt Duryth/ And yf it Do fayle then yerely to
Dystrybute iij^s iiij^d to pore people/ Also I Doe geve and yntend
to gyve to my sonne Thomas all that my messe wheryn Ric[hard]
flecher nowe Dwellythy yn & the close and fild adioynyng to the

Third page

same in his occupying/ And also the mess[uag]e or tenement wych Rob[er]t
myller dwyllyth yn wyth the p[ar]cell[es] of the close adionyng to the
same/ And I Doe gyve to my sayd sone Thomas all these two closes
lying by the highe way ledyng from watford to cayshe bryge some
tyme crek[es] To have & to hold the sayd two closes & all other the
p[re]myss[es] both fre & copye to my sayd sone Thomas & to the heres
males of his body lawfully begotten/ And for Default of suche
issue to remayne to the heres males of the body of me the sayd
Will[ia]m Heydon lawfully begotten/ Also I Doe gyve and bequeth
to my sayd sone Thomas twenty nobyll[es] wych is payd yn
considerac[i]on of his maryage wyth the syst[er] dought[er] of S[ir]
Nicholas Hare Knyght hiis speciall goodmaster in sundry wyse/
And wher by Dede Indented I have gyve my man[or] of Sarret to my
sone Raffe in maryage w[i]th Agnes his wyfe Dought[er] & heyre of Mr
Abraham of Flampstede upon consideracyon that he promysid
me that she shuld be his heyre & soe ys callid in the Dede of all
his land[es] & tenement[es]/ And that he wold make astate of his land[es]
& of like value to my sayd sone Raffe & his wyfe as I Dyd/ And also
p[ro]mysed me that my sayd son yf he marryed his Dought[er] that he
shuld have greate good[es] of hym & of his wyfe/ upon considerac[i]on
& they contracted Drove me to make a on unreasonable astate
to them of my sayd man[or] or els shamefully to have leffte the
maryage in breche of my will to my heyres males &c wyche
my sayd sone Raffe Doth well knowe/ and now the sayd
astate makynge a greate season hath p[ro]longyd any astate to be made

Fourth page

to my sayd son Raffe & his wyfe/ And as yet nothing hathe
geven them toward[es] ther lyvyng ayenst all fasshion of honestye
and specially co[n]sideryng the astate that I have made to my sone
& to his Dought[er]/ And whereas I have certeyne copy hold
land adionyng to the sayd man[or] of Sarret wherof noe astate
nor surre[n]der as yet is made/ yf no reformacyon be made yn
my lyfe by my sayd son Raffe whome I charge hym to reforme
the p[re]myss[es] accordyng to my mynd wych he well knowyth/
And yn case he refuse to Doe then I will that my sone heyre
apparant & his heyres have all the sayd copy hold[es] adioynyng
to the sayd man[or] & to his heyres males/ And yf my sayd son
Raffe and his wyfe well reforme the sayd astate to my sone John
& to his heres males for Default of heyre male of my sayd sone
Raffe wyth the other remannders accordyng/ then I will and
charge my sayd sone & heyre & his heyres to make a sufficient
surrender of all the said cope hold in Sarret to my sayd son Raffe
and to his heyres males/ And in Default of suche issue to my sone
John & to his heyres males wyth remaynder accordyng as is
specified in the Dedes of my said man[or] to hym & to his wyfe
made/ And I will that the said astate made of my sayd man[or]
of Sarret to my said son Raffe & his wife be reformed & to
be made to his heyres males wyth remaynders as is aforesaid
And as for my sayd sone John he may be content for I p[re]ferryd
him to the Kyng[es] s[er]vyce wher he both hath fee and
wages/ and besides that in his s[er]vyce first and last I have be
stowed cc markes in his aparell and horses and otherwyse/

Fifth page

Also I doe gyve to my sone Anthony fyve markes of annuyte yerely
to be payd to hym by myn heyres owt of all my land[es] & ten[emen]t[es] yn
Watford Duryng his lyffe & for Default of payment to Dystreyne
for yt/ And yf ^he cannot be payd then in recompense of the sayd annuite
of fyve mark[es] I Doe gyve unto my sayd sone Anthony all that my
messe & land[es] nowe in the occupacyon of John Tyler for terme of
lyffe of my said sone Anthony by cause ^{I gave} hym his maryage and also
shall have Richekyng[es] in Ever^[1] the remaynder therof to the
heyres males of my body lawfully begotten/ Also the kyng[es]
part ther he ought to have/ And also my wyfes Dower
that she ought to have in my man[or] of Grove & grove myll[es] and
in all other my maners land[es] & tenement[es] in the townes & p[ar]yshes
of watford Abbott[es] langlie & sarret in the countye of hert[ford]sh[ire]
And also yn the countye of Midd[lesex] ymmedyatly aft[er] my Decease
first taken and assigned owt/ I Doe gyve my said man[or] of
Grove and grovemylles And also wyth all that messe & land[es]
called mast[er] Rogers/ And also my capitall messe and all other
ten[emen]t[es] in newstrete in watford/ And all other my messes land[es]
& tenement[es] wyth thapp[ur]tenannce in watford/ And also
all those my messes land[es] & tenement[es] medowes wodes and
pastures in oxi^[2] called Sayntlowes and p[ar]kefild by me lately
knyldyd together wyth my p[ar]ke called oxi p[ar]ke oxi wode oxi
frythe merehill merehill garden the asshen spryng the
aspson sprynge Salmons bower Stonyfild and amys wyth all
man[er] of wodes & underwodes hegges(hedges) & hegerowes in the same

Sixth page

And in ev[er]y of them in oxi and in all other plaices in the p[ar]yshes
of watford and Abbotts langlei/ the messe and land[es] in the
occupacion of John Tyler aforesaid except/ All wych I doe
gyve to my sone Henry myn here apparannt/ To have & to
hold to hym & to his heyres males of his body lawfully
begotten/ And for default of suche issue the remaynder to my
sone Jerome & to the heyre males of his body lawfully begotten
And for default of such issue to remayne to my sone Anthonye & to the heyres
males of his body lawfully begotten/ And for default of suche issue
to remayne to my sone Thomas & to the heyres males of his body
lawfully begotten/ And for default of suche issue to remayne
to my sone Raffe & to the heyres males of his body lawfully
begotten/ And for default of suche issue to remayne to my
sone John & to the heyres males of his body lawfully begotten
And for default of suche issue to remayne to Elene my eldest
dought[er] nowe maryed to Will[ia]m Pawne Esquyre in Essex
before that maryed to Will[ia]m Beddell of wrykell Esquyer
and to the heyres males of her body lawfully begotten/ And for
default of suche issue to remayne to my dought[er] Anne my
second dought[er] maryid to one John Dinham & to her
heyres males of her body lawfully begotten/ And for
default of suche issue to remayne to my dought[er] Elzabeth
my thyrd dought[er] maryed to one Thomas Palm[er] & to
the heres males of her body lawfully begotten/ And for

Seventh page

default of suche issue to Remayne to my dought[er] Dorathie my iiij^th
dought[er] maryid to Rob[er]t Shordysshe of Ikenham Esquyer & to the heres
males of her body lawfully begotten/ And for default of suche issue
to Remayne to my dought[er] Alyce my v^th dought[er] maryid to one
Edward Bigge & to the heres males of her body lawfully begotten
And for default of suche issue then to Remayne to my dought[er] Marye
my vi^th dought[er] maryed to one John Frankes & to the heres males
of her body lawfully begotten/ And for default of suche issue then to
remayne to my sonnes Thomas Raffe and John to ther heyres in fee
for ev[er]/ And wyth my good[es] I will my executors to pay my dett[es]
and to such of my sonnes & ther childerne that shall happen to
have nede I will that my executors by ther dyscrecyons doe releve
them & to doe other werk[es] of m[er]cy for my soule helthe/ Also
I gyve and bequeth xx nobles to be payd by my executors to xx
pore maydens mariag[es] that be of good diposicyon & toward[es] to
thryve to ev[er]y of them one noble & specially suche as be pore of
my kyne except to Will[ia]m Heydon dought[er] nowe in s[er]vyce at
langleberye to whom I have geven a noble by my own hand
And of this of testament and last will comprysed in the same I doe
ordeyne & make my sayd wyfe & my sayd sone Henry my executo[ur]
& Mr John Connyngisbe Esquyer Edward Brokes Esquyer ov[er]
seers of the same to whom I bequeth to ev[er]y of them xx^s besyd[es]
allman[er] other charges to be susteynyd for the accomplyshement
of my sayd last will & testament/ In wytnes wherof I have
wrytten the same wyth my owne hand & subscribed my name
And therunto have sett my seale of armes/ yeven the day and
yere above sayd xxvj die Junij D[omi]ni 1545

Sources

1. ↑ Iver
2. ↑ Oxhey